Why does Jesus refer to Himself as the good Shepherd? By using this title, Jesus is tapping into an ancient Jewish promise that one day God would send His chosen Shepherd to help both the Jewish people and the entire world. By tracing the idea of God as a Shepherd of His people from Psalm 23 through the Old Testament prophets Jeremiah (Ch. 23) and Ezekiel (Ch. 34) we arrive at a more full understanding of Jesus’ role and mission.